Saving The Tragic AdonisCh30 - He Wants To Leave This House

Yin Mingzheng wondered whether or not he had made a mistake. Every time Yin Qiang hit Zhou Juan, he would rush out to block him and take the blows on her behalf. As a result, Zhou Juan couldn’t see the truth. She felt like she didn’t deserve Yin Qiang. She felt like Yin Qiang was an angel from heaven who had come to save her.

Or was getting a divorce and losing face even more terrible than being abused? 8bLNph

In the past, he didn’t understand Zhou Juan’s choice, but he still respected it. However, after nearly being beaten to death, he was finding it harder and harder for him to empathize with Zhou Juan. More and more details that he had overlooked in the past were floating to the surface of his mind.

For example, whenever Zhou Juan was getting beaten, she would always make a beeline towards his bedroom. Once he bolted forward to fight Yin Qiang, Zhou Juan would stand off to the side, not helping.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Not to mention the material deprivation he experienced. He could remember the neighborhood committee showing up at their door to remind Zhou Juan that Yin Mingzheng needed to go to school. It was only after Zhou Juan made sure she wouldn’t have to spend any money that she finally agreed.

Piece by piece… 6O32Wr

Yin Mingzheng closed his eyes and stopped thinking about it.

This was the first time that Zhou Juan had revealed her true thoughts to Yin Mingzheng. She felt a little unable to face him. Every time she saw Yin Mingzheng, she felt as though he had undergone another subtle change. The feeling he gave her was becoming more and more like Yin Qiang.

Whenever she stood before Yin Mingzheng, she felt she was facing Yin Qiang. Discomfort, unease, fear.

When she was facing Yin Qiang, she knew that she was feeling this way because of the physical violence, but she couldn’t understand why she was feeling the same way in front of Yin Mingzheng.

JcGMWN

Yin Mingzheng asked for her ID and brought her to open a stock market account. She did not resist.

In the blink of an eye, the winter vacation was over, and school was starting again.

After returning from the north, Shu Ning went with Mrs. Cai to visit his grandmother and some relatives. After finally visiting all of his relatives, his friends in class started inviting him to hang out or meet up, one after another. Up until school started, he didn’t have a single chance to meet up with the villain.

He also didn’t know how to go about meeting up with him. rQLOdg

After all, he seemed to have made the villain angry again.

Every time he tried to get close to the villain, Shu Ning would always find a way to upset him. Shu Ning was really at the end of his rope. He and the villain just seemed to naturally be incompatible with each other. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t close the distance between them.

After school started, Shu Ning made some more money through his part-time job. He also got a lot of money from his relatives over the holidays. If he added all of this up, he could be considered a mini-billionaire again! Even after returning the ¥5,000 to Mrs. Cai, he still had more than enough money to raise the villain.

Once school started, he would need to buy new reference books, food, and more. Shu Ning contacted Zhou Juan about sending her some more food and money. He also wanted her to make up for the paper slips that she hadn’t signed yet. q2SUu4

Without Yin Qiang’s constant suppression, Zhou Juan started to get lazy. She stopped going to work, so they scheduled to meet up by the community fountain at about seven o’clock in the evening.

Once seven o’clock rolled around, Shu Ning handed her the money and asked her to sign the paper slips. He handed her the milk and calcium tablets. Then, he asked, “Is Yin Mingzheng eating properly? Is he drinking the milk and taking the calcium tablets?”

Zhou Juan responded, “Yes, yes, yes, he takes them every day.”

Shu Ning breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I’ll see you next Tuesday. If I’m not able to make it, I’ll let you know in advance.” DYTuvb

Zhou Juan nodded. “Okay.”

The two of them then went their separate ways. Shu Ning immediately turned around and left. Zhou Juan carried the milk and vitamins in her arms. Her pace was a bit slower.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

After taking a few steps, a familiar voice rang out from behind her, “Mom.”

Zhou Juan turned her head and saw Yin Mingzheng standing not too far away. He had a bookbag on his shoulder, as if he had just returned. dXr1Fw

She wasn’t sure if he saw everything or not.

Zhou Juan looked back in Shu Ning’s direction. That kid was already gone.

“I’ll help you.” Yin Mingzheng walked over.

“Oh, okay.” Zhou Juan handed him the milk. CeDlLb

Yin Mingzheng walked in front of her with the milk. Zhou Juan nervously followed behind him. “Mingzheng…”

Yin Mingzheng responded, “Hm?”

Zhou Juan mulled it over before asking, “Did you see everything just now?”

Yin Mingzheng replied, “See what?” dofwtI

Out of nervousness, Zhou Juan ended up giving him much more explanation than necessary. “I was having some trouble carrying everything, but Shu Ning was kind enough to help me carry it for a while.”

Yin Mingzheng hummed, “Mn.”

Zhou Juan observed his facial expressions for a bit. Seeing that his face didn’t change, she finally put down her worries and laughed, “Come on, let’s get home.”

Yin Mingzheng didn’t speak, his eyes dark. 7gaq4z

When he got home, he opened up QQ on his phone and tapped on the shiitake mushroom avatar. He was silent for a long time. He didn’t send anything.

There was no evidence.

Yes, it’s very likely that Zhou Juan bought those groceries and asked Shu Ning for help.

Don’t overthink it. esNMok

If Shu Ning was the one who sent those things, then what about his gratitude towards Zhou Juan?

What was he in Zhou Juan’s eyes?

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Had he already been abandoned a long time ago?

Yin Mingzheng couldn’t accept it. MjoK6u

If Zhou Juan really had abandoned him, then he was just a motherless, fatherless piece of trash!

His gratitude, his affection, his dreams for the future, they were all just a big joke!

He was just a bastard of unknown origin, trash that nobody wants, someone who shouldn’t exist. He was totally worthless!

Although, even if Shu Ning bought those things today, that doesn’t mean everything from before was also from Shu Ning, right? o3VmMg

No, Zhou Juan liked him. Although she didn’t love him the way she would’ve loved a biological child, she must have still liked him.

Yin Mingzheng took a deep breath and put down his phone. Then, he opened up his laptop and continued to program.

He had already paid back the people in the neighborhood group chat, but he still hadn’t repaid the ¥30,000 donation from the school.

So long as he hadn’t repaid the money, he would always be one step below Shu Ning. hbHWgD

However, New Year’s was over, so programmers were returning to their jobs one by one. There weren’t very many requests coming onto the forum anymore, so work was getting harder to find.

He needed to find another way to make money.

He opened up a simulation software to check how the market was doing today, and it was doing pretty well. He used a program he wrote himself to grab data. Then, he would analyze the data to determine future trends on the market.

He even created his own software that could grab publicly available data from reputable websites, both domestic and foreign. As soon as the data was published, the software could retrieve, summarize, and classify the data right away. lo3E W

Then, he would go through the data himself.

After using it for a period, he discovered that it was pretty effective at its job.

At the moment, block trade, oil, gold, silver, and virtual currencies were all hot markets. He spent a period of time tracking and analyzing the market. When he saw the wobbly curve on the screen, he suddenly had a strong intuition—oil stocks were going to rise soon.

This sense of intuition was incredibly strong. He had never felt this way before. qDWhaY

It was as if a voice in his head was telling him to do it, telling him that he would regret it if he didn’t.

Yin Mingzheng frowned, a little unsure.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

After hesitating for about a day, the voice in his head became stronger, telling him that the opportunity was about to disappear. Finally, he decided to listen to his intuition. He ended up spending ¥30,000 on some oil stocks.

The price of oil stocks skyrocketed. Yin Mingzheng listened to the voice in his head once more and sold them, earning a profit of ¥8,000. He sold the stocks for a total of ¥38,000. UzXdIA

His first victory made him understand that the voice in his head was right.

This was an opportunity for him to earn money even faster.

He created another software to retrieve more detailed data on commodity stocks, as well as data on international trade. He followed the voice in his head as he participated in these tense financial affairs.

He discovered that he really enjoyed this exciting game. MCgXyc

Ever since he was injured, his emotions had been very dulled. It was difficult for anything to pique his interest. He thought that he had lost all feeling, but, now, he was starting to find that this may not be the case.

The more exciting it was, the more he could feel the pulse of his heartbeat and the rush of blood in his veins.

It was like he was addicted. He was chasing after the taste of the emotions he used to have.

By the time he calmed back down a month later, he had accumulated ¥300,000. ZshIuU

¥300,000. This was a number he’d never even dared to dream about. However, now that it was right in front of him, it became just that, a number.

Ah, I have money now.

But he didn’t seem to feel any different from before.

Yin Mingzheng stared at his account. There wasn’t a hint of emotion on his face. His two dark eyes were calm, like obsidian. gVdzcp

He thought he would be ecstatic, that he’d be beside himself with joy, but there was nothing. His emotions were still, like a pool of dead water.

After settlement, he stopped trading. He put the money in Zhou Juan’s card. Then, he transferred it into his own account. In the class group chat, he used a program that he wrote himself to return the money to everyone all at once.

The group chat completely exploded!

[Yin Mingzheng, what the hell are you doing?] oY1frW

[That was a donation, not a loan. What are you paying it back for?]

Long Qiao and Wang Shenshen were the first to jump out.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Their words resonated with their classmates.

[It was only 20 yuan. You might not be embarrassed to return it, but I’m too embarrassed to accept it!] QuUdPm

[He’s right, Yin Mingzheng, don’t do this!]

A couple of well-off classmates were making a fuss, but most of them didn’t make a peep.

Donating was supposed to be voluntary, but it was clear the homeroom teacher wanted them to donate and other classmates had already donated. Under those kinds of circumstances, it would be awkward not to donate.

Whenever there’s a fire, they start a fundraiser. Whenever there’s an earthquake, they start a fundraiser. Whenever there’s a sick child, they start a fundraiser. Whenever there’s a mudslide, they start a fundraiser. So long as those at the top said the word, the ones at the bottom would have to set a minimum donation quota for each person. e1F7R3

With all this fundraising back and forth, even the parents and teachers would feel uncomfortable, not to mention the students. If the quota was small, the students would pay with their own allowances. If their allowances were small, it’s inevitable for there to be some complaints.

It’s just that no one said this out loud.

This was especially the case in ordinary families. It hurt their pockets even more.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Mbg rfnfcat ugjvfgr, afc bg akfcas sejc kjr jigfjvs j iba! VsxEIR

Ktfgf kfgf rbwf qfbqif ktb kfgf jmaejiis rfmgfais nfgs tjqqs atja Tlc Zlcuhtfcu kjr jyif ab gfaegc atf wbcfs. Lbkfnfg, atfs kfgf abb fwyjggjrrfv ab rtbk la, rb atfs xfqa rlifca. Cr j gfreia, atf ibevfra qfbqif lc atf mtja kfgf atbrf ktb vlvc’a kjca tlw ab gfaegc atf vbcjalbc.

In everyone else’s eyes, Yin Mingzheng was very strange. He used to act like a gangster, roaming the streets. First, his hair was highlighter yellow. Then, it was electric purple. Everything he did was out of the box. His grades were poor, and he refused to be disciplined.

Later, he was sent to the hospital on the brink of death. The things he experienced painted him in a very sympathetic light. Everyone actively donated money, but, when he woke up, he didn’t say a word of gratitude.

When it came to other people, they would all be crying in front of the camera like they were made of tears, constantly thanking their friends and community. However, Yin Mingzheng didn’t do that. He didn’t even say a word of thanks. b1B8fM

No one knew what to make of him. They only had one word—strange.

Now, he was suddenly refunding everyone.

They became even less sure of what to make of him.

Plus, how was he able to pull out ¥30,000 all at once? Where the money came from was also a question. j7OKkM

In short, everything about Yin Mingzheng was strange and confusing.

Yin Mingzheng didn’t pay that much attention to what others would think. He carefully matched every name to the amount of money donated. Then, he sent every homeroom teacher the exact amount and asked them to help him distribute it.

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Even the teachers’ donations were refunded.

He was truly direct and efficient. He didn’t forget a single cent. mpGrZc

“Did you know? Yin Mingzheng even returned the money from DiDiChou.”

“Really? Didn’t he get hundreds of thousands of yuan from DiDiChou?”

“I heard that the donations from the community were also returned.”

“Where did he get so much money?” tLyJNh

“I don’t know.”

“It’s really weird how he suddenly has a ton of money out of nowhere. If he really had that much money, they wouldn’t have asked for donations, right? At the time, his parents were saying they weren’t gonna pay his hospital fees no matter what.”

“While I admire him for returning the money, I’m still a little suspicious about where the money came from.”

“He didn’t go to a loan shark, did he?” WgIku4

“Or maybe he did something illegal?”

“You know, he is pretty good-looking. Some people are into that. Wasn’t there a pervert who kept following him? He even ended up getting killed by Yin Qiang. Who knows, maybe someone fell for his looks again.”

Shu Ning had just walked out of the bathroom when he heard several classmates gossiping in a corner of the hallway. He couldn’t help the flame of anger that started burning in his stomach. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”

They all turned to look at him at the same time, their faces embarrassed. eGTUzO

“When we were fundraising, some of you said that we were forcing you to donate. Yin Mingzheng’s returned all the money now, so what are you still bitching about?” The more he said, the angrier he got. “So what if he suddenly has money now! Do you have to think in that direction? Maybe he won the lottery! Maybe he received some aid! Maybe he reconnected with a rich relative or something, okay!? Do you have to think so damn negatively!?”

“W-we didn’t!” The boys felt ashamed.

Shu Ning fumed, “It’s a good thing Yin Mingzheng’s naturally a good person! Even in that kind of environment and that kind of situation, he still decided to return all the donations one by one! If it was any of you in his situation, would you have returned the money? I bet you would’ve run off with the donations and did whatever you liked with it!”

The boys bowed their heads, and their faces turned red. “S-sorry.” rNdlXs

“The person you should be apologizing to is Yin Mingzheng!” Shu Ning shot them a hateful look.

Cheng Xiaoyu and a group of girls ran over when they heard the commotion. After hearing what had happened, they really let the boys have it.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

“How could you guys spread rumors like that? It’s already bad enough that he was harassed by a pervert. Now you guys are even gossiping about him! So gross!”

“Is being good-looking a crime?” One of the girls was particularly furious. “Zhuzhu’s also really pretty, but none of you were able to date her. So, you spread rumors about her instead. It’s disgusting!” yPFqd

“Exactly! All I did was say a few words to a boy from another class! Now there are rumors about me too!”

Girls had a lot more experience than boys when it came to being slandered for their looks. They immediately empathized with Yin Mingzheng. Filled with righteous indignation, they ended up giving those boys the tongue-lashing of the century.

Shu Ning finally calmed down when he saw the boys’ meek appearance. He also didn’t know where the villain got so much money. Could it be that the Wei family found out about his true identity and gave it to him?

But why didn’t they take him back? Why didn’t they publicize it? fSEzBR

However, Shu Ning couldn’t be bothered to think about this right now. Regardless of what happened with the Wei family, this rumor needed to be stopped.

Shu Ning raised his eyebrows and said, “Listen up! I know better than anyone where the money came from.”

The group of boys looked up.

The other students in the hallway also looked up. M2p3FL

Shu Ning continued, “Yin Mingzheng had medical insurance, so it didn’t actually cost as much as we had expected. I handled his discharge procedures, so I know this better than anyone!”

“At that time, there was still a lot of donation money left, so I asked Yin Mingzheng what he wanted to do with it. Zhou Juan, that is, Yin Mingzheng’s mom wanted to keep the money and act as if they spent it all on medical expenses. Yin Mingzheng refused. He said that they couldn’t take advantage of others and that they needed to return the donations.”

“So, the money you received is your donation! You can stop asking about where he got the money because he didn’t spend it to begin with! He returned the donations as is, so the money’s yours, you got that? Stop bitching about where it came from!”

Long Qiao and Wang Shenshen looked like his left and right guard. They raised their eyebrows and said, “If you understand, go apologize!” dGfYc7

The group of boys immediately scattered like a frightened flock of birds. Shu Ning saw the boy who was insinuating things about Yin Mingzheng trying to slip away, so he stepped forward and grabbed his collar. “Where do you think you’re going? Come with me! Apologize to Yin Mingzheng’s face.”

“I was wrong, I was wrong!” The boy repeatedly begged for mercy.

When the students in the hallways heard what Shu Ning said, they all cast a contemptuous look at the boy.

“Let him go.” A cold voice rang out. 0eCPgS

The crowd turned their heads.

A young man wearing a blue and white school uniform stood at the end of the hallway. Black hair, black eyes, skin as white as jade. His entire person was so beautiful that he seemed to glow.

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“I don’t need an apology if he doesn’t mean it,” he said.

Shu Ning was taken aback and let go of the boy. u2PXOd

The boy walked up to Yin Mingzheng, hurriedly spit out an apology, and ran away.

“Mingzheng…” Shu Ning awkwardly raised his hand to say hello.

Yin Mingzheng walked up to him and said, “Don’t do this in the future.”

There was no need to stand up for him, no need to explain for him. 57lGSR

He didn’t care about other people’s opinions. None of that was important. Those who really understand you will understand even without an explanation. If they can’t understand you, it’s useless even if you try to explain.

Plus, he didn’t want Shu Ning running around for his sake. He already owed a lot of favors because of him.

Shu Ning rubbed his nose. Dang. He was rejected again.

When the bell rang, the students in the hallway headed back to their classrooms one after another. Naturally, Shu Ning’s remarks spread, and a lot of people criticized that group of boys. ehkGHJ

Rumors about the source of the money collapsed on their own.

Yin Mingzheng didn’t pay attention to other people’s opinions. He used to be a little hurt when he heard other people slander him, but, for the most part, he didn’t care. Now, his emotions had become a lot more dull, so he cared even less.

Although he had told Shu Ning not to stand up for him anymore, he was actually very happy that Shu Ning came to his defense. It was like having a sweet and tangy tangerine stuffed in his mouth.

However, he wasn’t very expressive anymore. Even if he was elated, he couldn’t bring himself to smile as brightly as he used to. In the eyes of others, he seemed calm and even a little angry. fMSdh7

Of course, it was normal to be angry about being defamed.

The two of them sat in their chairs. The homeroom teacher’s voice was droning on and on. Shu Ning took a look at the villain’s face and whispered, “Don’t take their words to heart. Most of our classmates really admire your decision.”

The little villain slightly turned his head and said, “Mn.”

His well-behaved appearance made Shu Ning’s heart melt. LasAEw

Ah, he really wanted to get his phone number and WeChat and QQ, but, unfortunately, he couldn’t even talk to him too much. Otherwise, he might accidentally make Baby angry again.

The villain kept looking at him, and Shu Ning subconsciously straightened his back.

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After a while, the little villain’s voice piped up, “Can I add you on WeChat?”

Shu Ning thought he misheard and turned his head. “What?” nE7bqI

The little villain stared at him quietly. He paused for quite a while before repeating himself, “Can I add you on WeChat?”

Shu Ning finally realized that he was hearing correctly. The little villain took the initiative to add him on WeChat!

After a moment of bewilderment, Shu Ning couldn’t help but feel excited. He pulled out his phone and said, “Yeah!”

Yin Mingzheng’s tightened fist slowly started to relax. He also pulled out his phone, and they exchanged WeChats. Mo6kQf

After adding each other, the little villain’s beautiful eyes stared at him for a while. Then, a notification for a red envelope showed up on Shu Ning’s screen with a ding.

When he saw the red envelope, Shu Ning felt as though he had been splashed with cold water. The smile at the corner of his mouth froze.

The little villain had already gone back to listening to the lecture, a serious expression on his face.

After a long while, Shu Ning also turned towards the homeroom teacher, pretending to listen to what she was saying. VjPWnX

He miscalculated. He thought the villain wanted to be friends with him, but he was actually just trying to pay off the money.

Yin Mingzheng quietly lowered his head to look at his phone. On the screen, the cartoon shiitake mushroom looked very cute.

He silently smiled.

Ding. lGib X

[Why did you send me so much money?]

[I didn’t donate that much.]

The shiitake mushroom said this.

The smile at the corner of his mouth disappeared. Yin Mingzheng pursed his lips. dMdQSb

[I calculated it out to be this much.]

The shiitake mushroom: [I really didn’t give that much money.]

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Yin Mingzheng: [I checked with the hospital. You paid ¥20,000 in advance the day I was admitted.]

The shiitake mushroom: […] pEwSrx

Shu Ning looked up at the villain. He actually went to the hospital to investigate. Sigh, the little villain’s IQ was too good now. He wasn’t easy to fool anymore.

Yin Mingzheng: [Thank you.]

Shu Ning stared at those two words for quite a while. Then, he sighed. He felt as though he had suddenly seen into the villain’s sensitive heart and said: [Of course.]

Yin Mingzheng: [If it wasn’t for you, I might have died. You really saved my life.] Q4Cm3

Shu Ning was truly moved now. The little villain was usually very cold, so Shu Ning thought that he didn’t like him. However, it turned out that he was actually full of gratitude.

Shu Ning: [It’s only natural to help someone in need. You’re both my classmate and my neighbor. It’s what I should do.]

Yin Mingzheng’s eyes were full of smiles when he saw this bold statement.

It was rare for him to have such a pleasant chat with Shu Ning. He tried his best to find a way to continue the conversation, but he realized that he didn’t know how to. dBC10D

He had always been the King of Silence. In the past, whenever someone was mocking him, he would ignore them out of habit. It was so ingrained in him that he didn’t know how to chat with people.

Seeing that the conversation was about to end, Yin Mingzheng felt a little anxious. He frowned slightly and secretly took a peek at Shu Ning, who was attentively listening to class.

The boy’s side profile was handsome and bright. Just looking at him would make anyone feel good. It was only natural for everyone to like this kind of person. No wonder he had so many friends.

Yin Mingzheng pondered about it for a moment. Then, he decided to search online about how to get close to someone through WeChat. The very first search result suggested using slang, emojis, stickers, and more. 6daLpt

He had already paid back all the donations. He could stand on equal footing with Shu Ning now.

Yin Mingzheng tentatively sent him the message: [Thank you uwu.]

Shu Ning looked down. When he saw the “uwu”, he turned to look at the villain in disbelief. The cold and haughty villain actually sent him such a cute message?

Aaah, Baby is so cute! So adorable! nE5XtJ

He quickly replied: [No problem!]

Those two words were full of his excitement and fatherly love.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Yin Mingzheng was happy when he saw that Shu Ning replied to him, but he ended up getting stuck again. He didn’t know how to continue the conversation.

All the way up until school let out, Yin Mingzheng still hadn’t figured out what to say. nr2TSa

Shu Ning looked through his chat record with Yin Mingzheng over and over again, excitedly rolling around on his bed.

He finally added Baby’s WeChat!

Since Baby was so good, he decided to buy something good for Baby to eat.

In the blink of an eye, it was already Tuesday. Shu Ning didn’t have the heart to study. His brain was completely preoccupied with what he was going to buy for Baby at the supermarket later. Yin Mingzheng had wanted to talk to him several times, but he just didn’t know where to start. HAD5p4

He thought back to earlier in the school year. Shu Ning would always try to talk to him, but he treated him coldly and even cut off relations with him. Yin Mingzheng regretted it.

Now, Shu Ning didn’t talk to him much anymore.

Yin Mingzheng wanted to ask him to friends again.

However, he felt embarrassed to say something like that. Plus, it might seem like it came out of nowhere. 3mSni

He mulled it over for an entire day. Finally, he summoned up his courage and decided to catch Shu Ning after school and talk to him.

The school bell rang, and the class started flurrying about.

Shu Ning had already packed his schoolbag. One leg was stretched out next to his chair. He was ready to bolt out of the classroom at any time.

The teacher just finished dismissing the class. Before Yin Mingzheng could even speak, Shu Ning flew away like an arrow in his blue and white uniform. mbVtvo

Yin Mingzheng sat in his seat for a while. Then, he packed up his books and silently followed the crowd.

Shu Ning was already nowhere to be seen. Yin Mingzheng searched for a moment, and a look of disappointment flashed across his face.

The sky was drizzling. It was always raining like this during the winter in Chuzhou. It was the kind of weather that made you hesitate about opening an umbrella or not.

It really wasn’t raining hard enough to warrant an umbrella, but, if you didn’t use one, your hair would get wet. wCQaP9

Yin Mingzheng’s mood was as damp and gloomy as the wet pavement.

On the sidewalk, a small number of people were holding up colorful umbrellas. The wet ground reflected the rainbow of light.

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He crossed the road with his school bag on his back. After thinking for a moment, he remembered that they had run out of paper towels and soy sauce at home, so he decided to swing by the supermarket. He would also be able to buy something good to eat while he was there. Zhou Juan had been working a lot recently.

The biggest supermarket around here was Holiday Supermarket. VJP7U1

Yin Mingzheng grabbed a shopping basket and joined the crowd heading into the supermarket. There was a display rack for household goods by the entrance. Yin Mingzheng casually picked up a pack of toilet paper and put it in the basket. Then, he walked around the display and headed towards the food and condiments section. As he was walking, he caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. He was squatting in the food section, looking down at a tin container in his hand. It looked like milk powder.

Blue and white school uniform. Short blond hair. Handsome side profile. Tall nose bridge.

Shu Ning.

Shu Ning looked at the tin container for a bit before putting it in his shopping cart. Then, he left the display rack and headed towards the next aisle to get a bag of nuts, as well as a lot of jerky, dried meat, and bread buns. 2rqKkQ

Yin Mingzheng blinked and followed behind him. He saw him grab a box of milk cartons. Finally, he went to the health section to get a container of calcium tablets.

The packaging of the calcium tablets was familiar.

Yin Mingzheng’s hands trembled slightly.

Shu Ning pushed the cart and left. pf9SCK

Yin Mingzheng stood there, dumbfounded. His mind was a mess. The supermarket was bustling, and it was becoming more and more crowded. The liveliness of the store seemed to have blurred into the background. Everything and everyone had all faded from his notice.

That was until someone bumped into him. Yin Mingzheng was pulled back to the present.

“I’m so sorry.” The person pushing the cart was a young girl. The cart was a little big for her, so she accidentally ended up hitting Yin Mingzheng.

Yin Mingzheng didn’t say anything. He simply left with the toilet paper. Finally, he went to the fresh food section to buy some meat and vegetables and left the supermarket. SYwDco

When he got home, Yin Mingzheng cooked dinner as usual and kept it warm on the stove.

The time was currently seven o’clock.

Yin Mingzheng sat on a stool in the living room and waited.

At 7:20, he heard the sound of the key in the door. The door was unlocked, and Zhou Juan walked in with several bags in her hands. 7soI9U

“I’m exhausted!”

Zhou Juan put the milk and a large plastic bag on the table. “There’s so much stuff!”

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She took a deep breath. When she saw Yin Mingzheng, she said, “Mingzheng, Mom bought some good stuff. Take a look.”

Yin Mingzheng silently stood up, walked to the table, and opened the plastic bag. lgv8hk

Dried meat, jerky, bread buns, nuts, nutritional powder, calcium tablets, and a tin container.

Yin Mingzheng picked up the tin container and suddenly smiled. “It turned out to be oatmeal. I thought it was milk powder.”

“What milk powder?” Zhou Juan asked.

Yin Mingzheng stopped smiling. He turned his head and asked, “Mom, did you really buy these things?” KL5MHA

Zhou Juan was stunned for a moment. Then, she said, “Of course I bought it.”

“I have Shu Ning’s WeChat. I can ask him right away.” Yin Mingzheng took out his cell phone.

Zhou Juan spoke a little unnaturally, “Hey, why are you asking him?”

“He told me all about it.” EgOITK

Zhou Juan was stunned for a moment. She assumed that Shu Ning had already told him everything, so she frowned and said, “I can’t believe him! He’s been telling me not to say anything this whole time, yet he’s gone and told you himself!”

Yin Mingzheng stared at her silently.

Zhou Juan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. She explained, “It’s not that Mom wanted to lie to you. It’s Shu Ning who asked that I keep it a secret. There’s someone providing you with financial aid. Every week, he gives you ¥200 for lunch fees. Every month, he gives you milk, calcium tablets, vitamins, and stuff. Shu Ning said that you had a lot of pride and self-esteem. If we told you about it, you would refuse, so he told me not to tell you.”

“Shu Ning’s the one in charge of the financial aid for your class. He’s responsible for allocating funds…Mingzheng, try to get along with Shu Ning from now on. See if you can get some more money from the donor. It’s very hard for Mom to make money all on my own…” dZfhcC

Yin Mingzheng stared at the hanging light above his head. He suddenly felt that the light was too bright.

“The lunch fee’s a donation?” His voice was a little dry.

Zhou Juan nodded. “Yes.”

“Bread and milk and snacks are also donations?” IEWOrM

Zhou Juan nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

Yin Mingzheng recalled a lot of details from the past. His eyes gradually darkened. “Is there anything else?”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Zhou Juan blanked for a moment. Then, she looked away.

Yin Mingzheng’s face was as cold as ice under the white lighting. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just go ask him.” t5KBVd

“Sigh.” Zhou Juan sighed. She knew that she couldn’t hide it anymore, so she pointed to his shoes. “The shoes you’re wearing right now, as well as your pants, were all donations…there was also a down jacket, but Yin Qiang took it. It was that blue down jacket.”

“Your new cell phone and laptop were also donations…”

The more she spoke, the more Yin Mingzheng’s hands trembled. His corners of his eyes slowly started turning red. He thought that he wouldn’t care, he thought that he wouldn’t get hurt, but he was starting to realize that he was wrong.

He felt as if his heart had been stabbed. Somewhere in his chest, he was bleeding. 4odSx1

Something seemed to have left him at that moment. His entire body was steeped in that sour, painful feeling.

“Then, what did you buy for me?” His voice was as soft as a feather.

Zhou Juan was taken aback.

Yin Mingzheng asked again, “My birthday gift and New Year’s gift were all given by someone else, right?” SeIqKu

Zhou Juan slowly started feeling embarrassed.

Yin Mingzheng continued, “You really did abandon me back at the hospital, right?”

Zhou Juan took a step back. She said, “Didn’t you forgive me already?”

Yin Mingzheng nodded. “I did.” GPUBHd

Because you were good to me, I chose to forgive you. However, I now realize that all of that kindness was just an illusion.

If you peel away that so-called “kindness”, all you’re left with is the stark reality, the abandonment, the neglect.

Zhou Juan didn’t think it was that big of a deal. “Then, isn’t that fine? The past is in the past. Now that you know about the donations, keep pretending that you don’t know. Remember to drop some hints in front of Shu Ning about our financial situation. It’s really easy. If he hears that we’re having a hard time, he’ll give us some more money…”

Zhou Juan rambled on and on. vmRSt0

Yin Mingzheng carefully observed her face. There wasn’t the slightest bit of remorse, nor did she seem to care about how her words may have hurt him. Her emotions seemed to go from, “Ah, you found out,” to, “Alright, so what if you found out. It’s not a big deal.” Then, she quickly focused her attention on her own interests. She hoped that her son would cooperate and get some more money out of the donor.

The wound in his heart was growing bigger and bigger. More and more of him seemed to be leaking out.

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It was drowning him.

His previous suspicions came true. He really was a bastard, a piece of trash. He was unloved from the very beginning. iOjPad

Why?

“If you didn’t like me, why did you adopt me?” Yin Mingzheng’s eyes slowly turned red.

Zhou Juan was completely shocked. “What?”

Yin Mingzheng’s voice was extremely hoarse. “If you didn’t like me, why did you adopt me?” 2sINUv

Zhou Juan gradually started to realize that something was wrong. She anxiously asked, “Mingzheng, what’s with you?”

Yin Mingzheng stared at her, his body trembling. His emotions were dipping lower and lower by the second. “I don’t understand. Since you don’t like me, couldn’t you have just left me to die? Couldn’t you have just lived your life with Yin Qiang? Why did you have to take me along with you?”

The tide of emotions in his body was surging, brewing.

Zhou Juan huffed, “Sigh, this child. Why is it the more you speak, the more outrageous you get?” NArXGC

“Outrageous?” Yin Mingzheng tilted his head. He felt as if he was speaking to a stranger. “What did I say that was so outrageous?”

“I’m your mother! You’re not supposed to question me like this!” Zhou Juan bit back.

“But you don’t love me.”

“Of course I love you.” Zhou Juan rushed to reassure him. “Don’t go thinking nonsense!” IsUOie

Yin Mingzheng shook his head. “I already knew that you didn’t love me. I’ve just been lying to myself this whole time.”

Zhou Juan felt that his emotional state wasn’t quite right. She called out to him, “Mingzheng…”

The tide finally hit the cliff, and a huge crash followed.

“Don’t say my name!” Yin Mingzheng suddenly burst. vtTA2F

Zhou Juan was startled and backed away from him.

Yin Mingzheng spent some time catching his breath. Then, he said, “Fine. Since you never wanted me to begin with, let’s just make a clean break. It’s not like I’m your biological kid anyway.”

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Zhou Juan didn’t understand at all. “Mingzheng, why are you making a fuss out of nowhere?”

“Out of nowhere?” Yin Mingzheng pointed at his head. “Don’t you know that my brain’s fucked up now?” ZQzRY

He walked into the living room and kicked the sofa. “I’ve always hated this sofa! Yin Qiang slept on this sofa every damn day!”

Then, he walked into his bedroom and threw the door open. It hit the wall with a bang.

“I hate it when you dry clothes in my room! It’s annoying! Did you know that?”

“I hate it when you put shit on my windowsill! You’re always walking in and out of my room with boxes and bins, and you always have to say a few words every time!” mvl98T

“I hate it when you pile up garbage behind the refrigerator! I hate how you always give the money to Yin Qiang after cashing it in at the trash collection site!”

“I hate it when Yin Qiang puts his beer bottles on the floor!”

“I hate the smell of alcohol in the house!”

“I hate how you only know how to cry! You never resist. You never fight back. It’s always me who has to come save you!” LbIK3A

“I hate everything in this house!”

Yin Mingzheng gasped for breath, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

“If it wasn’t for you, I would have run away from this house a long time ago! I would have gone far away and never come back!”

“I stayed because you were still here!” Khk1Br

“But now you’re telling me that the kindness you showed me was all fake. You had never wanted me to begin with.”

Zhou Juan was overwhelmed by each and every word. Yin Mingzheng used to be so well-behaved. He used to protect her. He never said a harsh word towards her, but, now, he was roaring at her.

Yin Mingzheng gradually regained his composure. His eyes were cold. “Since you already abandoned me, I’ll abandon you too.”

When she heard this, Zhou Juan suddenly became uneasy. “What do you mean, Mingzheng?” Dsbwzv

Yin Mingzheng fixed his eyes on her. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Zhou Juan shook her head. “I don’t. I don’t understand.”

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Yin Mingzheng walked into his narrow bedroom and opened up the metal cabinet. He grabbed a couple pieces of clothing and stuffed them into his school bag. Then, he put his laptop into the laptop case.

Zhou Juan snatched his schoolbag, her eyes impossibly wide. Underneath her disheveled hair, her face was as white as a sheet. “Mingzheng, what are you doing?” OihQ8

Yin Mingzheng stood up straight. In the time that Zhou Juan hadn’t been paying attention, the young man had already grown much taller than her. His figure was very slender. It wasn’t the kind of figure that immediately gave you a sense of protection. In fact, he looked rather fragile.

Yet, when he stood there, he was impossible to ignore.

His back was straight. It was as if he had a steel bar supporting his body in place of a spine. It washed away any sense of fragility he had. When he stood there, he was firm, unyielding.

“I’m leaving you.” JLRNpg

He said this very seriously.

Zhou Juan sucked in a breath. Her pupils slightly contracted. She felt as if she had been punched.

This was the first time he had ever said that he was leaving her. Before, he always said he would “take her away”.

He had never said the word “leave” before. Because of this, it felt particularly real when he said it. Extraordinarily solemn. A4UTe3

Zhou Juan’s breath quickened because she realized that the boy was telling the truth.

“Why? Mingzheng, stop getting so worked up.”

Yin Mingzheng snatched the school bag from her hands. He lowered his head and stuffed the bits and bobs scattered across his bed into the bag. “You abandoned me first.”

“No!” Zhou Juan instinctively denied. bK1oP7

Yin Mingzheng let out a laugh. The sound cut straight into Zhou Juan’s chest. Her heart trembled, and she couldn’t help biting her lip.

Her mind was a bit of a mess. She did, in fact, decide to abandon Yin Mingzheng while he was hospitalized.

Now that it was her turn to be abandoned, why was she so afraid?

The fear of losing her footing. Of losing the pillar that was holding her up. Y4maz6

Unwittingly, she already regarded Yin Mingzheng as her protector, her pillar. Whenever Yin Qiang was beating her, she knew that Yin Mingzheng would definitely come to her aid.

When she came home from an exhausting day at work, she knew that Yin Mingzheng would have a hot meal prepared for her.

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Yin Mingzheng hardly ever cried or made trouble. He was always very sensible. It was only because he was there that they were able to maintain a family together.

Zhou Juan only came to realize this now. QurF10

Yin Mingzheng held his laptop case, threw his school bag over his shoulder, and grabbed his cell phone. Then, he walked out of the room that he had hated for so long.

“Yin Mingzheng! You can’t go!” Zhou Juan reached out to stop him. “I’m your mother! I raised you for fifteen years! How can you just leave like this? Do you even have a conscience?”

She didn’t want Yin Mingzheng to leave. If he left, she would be all alone. What would she do in the future?

Yin Mingzheng looked her up and down as if he was meeting her for the first time. He was silent for quite a bit before he said, “Didn’t you abandon me first?” fqaAM0

Zhou Juan cried, “We have no money! One hundred thousand! How were we supposed to get one hundred thousand!? We didn’t have a choice!”

Yin Mingzheng pointed at his head. “Do you remember how I ended up getting hurt?”

Zhou Juan’s eyes were red, and her face was full of confusion.

Yin Mingzheng said, “I got injured because I was trying to save you. If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve been the one to die that day. Do you not remember?” TUPZ1C

Zhou Juan opened her mouth to say something. Her heart throbbed in pain, but there was nothing she could say to refute him.

Yin Mingzheng said slowly, “Have you ever thought about how you would feel if it was you in the hospital that day? How would you feel if Yin Qiang and I gave up on treating you?”

Zhou Juan stood there in a daze.

The boy bumped her with his shoulder and left without hesitation. noOK0u

Quickly, Zhou Juan came back to her senses. She rushed forward like a crazy person, grabbing him. “Mingzheng, don’t go!”

“Please don’t go!”

She had already lost Yin Qiang! She couldn’t afford to lose anyone else!

Moreover, she realized now that Yin Qiang wasn’t her lifeline, Yin Mingzheng was! TDbg3Z

For the first time, she started to consider whether she really would’ve been able to stay with Yin Qiang for so many years if Yin Mingzheng wasn’t there. Was the person she was relying on really Yin Qiang?

She needed Yin Qiang, but that was only because she wanted a husband she could show off when she went back to her hometown. Yin Mingzheng was the one that she could actually depend on.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Yin Qiang never cooked, but Yin Mingzheng did. Yin Qiang never cleaned, but Yin Mingzheng did. Yin Qiang only ever asked for money, but Yin Mingzheng would help her make money. Yin Qiang only ever hurt her, but Yin Mingzheng would protect her. Whenever she was sad or upset, Yin Mingzheng would always comfort her…

If Yin Mingzheng left, she really would be all alone! OmvIuQ

“Mingzheng…” Zhou Juan was crying so hard that snot was coming out of her nose.

She was always crying. It had become a habit to cry whenever she ran into a problem.

No one pitied her when she cried. It was only Yin Mingzheng who would protect her and comfort her.

But now, the boy she once relied on stood at the door, watching her. There wasn’t a single shred of emotion in those eyes. GKjpt0

“I don’t owe you anything.”

He laid down this one last sentence. Then, he opened the door and did the thing he had been dreaming of for a long time. He left.